Improvement in locks



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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M VOOD, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letttrs Patent No. 57,423, dated August 21, 1866.

.To all 167mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, G. M. WOOD, of Decatur, in the county of Macon and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Lock 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full. clear, and eXactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an internal view of `my invention; Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the same -in a locked state applied to a door, taken in the line x a, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a horizontal section of the lock in an unlocked state.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to a new and improved mode of operating a sliding latch and lookin g the same, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby it is believed that several advantages are obtained over the ordinary sliding latches now in use.

A represents the case of the lock, which may be of rectangular or other form, and secured to the door as usual.

B represents a slide-latch fitted in the case between proper guides a, and formed of two parallel plates, b b, between the outer and inner ends ot which rollers C C' are fitted, a roller, I), bearing also between the plates at the rear of the outer roller, C, and rollers E E being at the outer side ot the bolt at its inner end and in the saine axis as the rear roller, C. (See Fig. 1.)

The rollers I) E E are designed to obviate friction in the sliding or moving of the latch B, while the outer roller, C, is designed to obviate friction as the outer end of the latch enters the keeper F, the outer or face side ofthe keeper being rounded, as shown at c, in order to form a surface to admit of the outer end of the bolt passing readily into the keeper as the door is closed. This will be understood by referring to Fig. 2.

G represents the spindle or arbor on which the knobs H H are secured. This spindle or arbor is allowed to move freely in the lock at right angles therewith, and it passes through the slide-latch B, between the plates l) b, and has an oblique projection, I, attached thereto, which acts against the roller Gin the slide,

said roller being kept in contact with the oblique side ot' the projection I in consequence of a spring, J, bearing against the inner end of the slide-latch, the spring having a tendency to keep the outer end of the latch out from the side of the lock-case. (See Figs. 1 and 2.)

From the above description it will be seen that the slide-latch B will, on being shoved in the direction indicated by arrow 1, cause the oblique projection I to bear against the roller C and force the latch into case A and out from the keeper F, so that the door may be opened, the spring J throwing the spindle or arbor G and slide-latch B back to their original position when the spindle or arbor is relieved of pressure. I

The throw (extent of movement) of the slidelatch B may be regulated by adjusting one of the knobs H a greater or less distance on the spindle or arbor G, for by limiting the movement ot' the latter the movement of the slidelatch will also be limited, and its outer end made to extend a greater or less distance out from the side of the lock-case, as may be desired, the collar D limiting the extreme outward movement of the slide-latch.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the door may be opened by simply pressingagainst the spindle or arbor at one side of the door, or pulling it at the opposite side, and this may be done by persons with far greater facility than by turning the spindle or arbor as hitherto, as in the latter case a person must have one hand entirely at liberty, whereas in the other ease the work may be done by a pressure of the arm against the knob` at one side of the door, or by pulling upon it with a finger only of the hand at the opposite side ot' the door.

The slide-latch may be locked by shoving a bar, K, through a mortise, al, in the spindle or arbor. This bar Kis ot taper form,and it is attached to a slide, L, fitted within the case A between proper guides b* bt. This slide L has an elliptical opening, 0*made in it, in which opening an eccentric, dit, works, the axis e* of which passes through the lock-case at the inner side of the door, and has an arm attached for the convenience of turning the eccentric. The opposite end of the axis e* does not pass through the lock-case, but has l. The combination ot' the slide-latch B with friction-rollers D E E, in order to admit of the free movement of the slide or-to obviate friction, constructed substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the roller C, roller D E E, roller C', and slide'latch B, operating with the arbor Gr,'with oblique projector I, substantially as described, for the purpose specified. f

3. The locking device composed of the sliding bar K, Working in a mortise, ait, in the spindle or arbor, and operated in the manner shown, or in any equivalent Way, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

G. M. WOOD.

Witnesses:

CHAs. C. McConAs, OLIVER H. MCBRIDE. 

